Island support



Oct. 23, 1956 A. A. THOMPSON 2,767,626

ISLAND SUPPORT Filed Aug. 18, 1952 INVENTOR M 4155??- 450144 7/7aMAsa/1/ BY m ATTORNEY ISLAND SUPPORT Albert Abram Thompson, Henrico County, Va., assignor of forty-nine one-hundredths to W. B. Goode, Richmond, Va.; Kermit V. Rooke, administrator of Albert Abram Thompson, deceased Application August 18, 1952, Serial No. 305,055

4 Claims. (Cl. 94-1) This invention relates to a new and useful improvement in an island support and more particularly to such devices used in connection with gasoline pumps, flood light supporting islands and the like.

The usual gasoline pump supporting island in general use in gasoline filling stations is now constructed by fabricating a wooden form upon the ground, or other suitable surface, and then pouring cement or other suitable filler therein, and after such becomes hard, the form is removed. The gasoline pumps are then set upon and secured to the island and connected with the gasoline and electrical conduits previously disposed in the island before inserting the filler or cement. The disadvantages of the foregoing method of forming such an island is that considerable time is required in constructing the wooden form, increased labor costs, and excessive material consumption, hereinafter more fully explained.

One of the objects of this invention is the provision of an island support adapted to be provided with a casing which is a part thereof, thereby saving considerable time and labor in substituting such a casing for the wooden form structure; which never becomes a part of the island.

A further object of this invention is the provision of a former easing into which dirt or any suitable filler may be packed and over which cement or any suitable surface material may be disposed; thereby saving a considerable amount of said surfacing material. This feature cannot be accomplished in the present island support, or supports fabricated by wooden forms, as the latter must be removed, and the entire island must be constructed of cement or the like.

A still further object of this invention is the provision of a casing or skirt provided with struts and braces adapted to minimize the efiect of stresses, strains and forces caused by a filler plus poured cement or concrete.

Another object of this invention is the provision of an island adapted to be removed when not in use, and installed at another location.

Other objects and features will more fully appear from the following description and accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view partly in section showing a section of the composite filler comprising dirt covered with cement;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view along lines 2-2 of Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary plan view of a portion of the casing.

Referring to the drawing the island is designated by the numeral 1, and comprises a casing formed by sides 2-3 and ends 4-5. The casing comprises a combined form and protecting means. The form plus its reinforcing means in an operative assembled relation constitutes an article of manufacture. When the form is placed in position to receive the desired filler, then the form plus the filler becomes an island and the form becomes a permanent part of the island and constitutes a protecting means of the island and may now be designated as a curb, in that, it protects the filler from vehicle wheels which may nited States Patent ice contact the form when rolling by and accidentally coming in physical contact with the island. The casing is provided with an angular flange 6 disposed at the bottom thereof. Each of the bracing structural units comprises a strut 7 transversely arranged within the casing and having its respective ends secured to sides 23; while angular braces 89 have their respective ends secured to the strut '7 and sides 2-3, substantially on the same level as strut 7 as will clearly appear from Fig. 1. The braces 8 and 9 and strut 7 are in a common plane which is substantially horizontal. Bars 1011 have their respective ends secured to an intermediate portion of strut 7 and against flange 6 on sides 2-3. The bars 10-11 are connected and braced with a rod 12. The strut, bars and rod are in a substantially vertical plane with respect to each other. It is thought obvious that a plurality of such bracing structural units may be secured in the casing in spaced relation to each other.

Of course, in forms for a short island one structural unit would be sufficient.

These structural units comprising the strut 7, the braces 8 and 9, the bars 10 and 11 and the rod 12 may be assembled and secured together in any suitable manner such as welding before being placed inside of the casing and suitably secured to said casing. If the material used in making said structural units and the casing are sufficiently strong and heavy it is obvious that rod 12 could very well be omitted without destroying the useful purpose of the structural units.

The braces 8 and 9 perform a dual function, in that they not only aid in retaining the sides of the form in suitable condition they also retard arcing or flexing of the whole form when it is being handled or transported to any desired position for use in constructing an island.

In constructing an island for gasoline pumps in accordance with this invention, the casing or form is placed upon the earth or other supporting structure 13, and cement, concrete or other suitable surfacing material 14 is poured around the outside of the casing, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 3. Dirt or any other inexpensive filler 15 is packed inside the casing to any suitable level, and then surfacing material, such as cement or the like, 16 is disposed upon filler 15. When the surfacing material hardens the bracing structure becomes firmly embedded therein, and the island may be easily removed from one place to another, as the cement or filler will be secured to the casing.

A pump 17 is mounted upon the island and is in operative relation with gasoline conduit 18 and electrical conduit 19. Conduits 18-19 are installed previous to the filling of the casing with filler material and surfacing substance. It is preferable that the conduits be encased in a housing so that they will not engage the dirt or cement thereby permitting the island to be removed without disturbing said conduits.

It is to be noted that the casing, having the sides 2 and 3 and the ends 4 and 5, is of one piece constituting, possibly, the utmost in structural simplicity.

It is also thought obvious that by the provision of such an island a durable casing is provided that will withstand knocks or blows from vehicles; whereas a cement or concrete island usually chips or breaks. The side of the island may also be painted with less frequency than those in use now.

It is also thought obvious that by the provision of interior braces and struts the casing will be held firmly against the filler material such as cement, earth or the like, and will reduce expansion of said casing which occurs when no structural bracing is provided. Furthermore, casings with no such interior struts and bracings tend to pull away from the filler material, which is unsatisfactory; as has been proven by experiment.

Having described this invention, what is claimed is:

1. In an island construction comprising a metallic casing having suitably spaced side and end walls, a transverse brace connected to said side walls transversely of said side walls, said brace comprising a strut connected to the side walls intermediate their upper and lower edges, angular bars extending from opposed spaced portions of said strut and connected at their lower ends to the lower portions of said side walls, a horizontal rod connected to said angular bars intermediate their ends, said strut, bars and rod lying substantially in a vertical plane, angular braces extending from and connected to oppositely spaced portions of said strut in a substantially horizontal plane and connected at their outer ends substantially on a level with said strut to said side walls, whereby any appreciable distortion of the casing is prevented when a. filling is placed in the casing to complete the island construction.

2. In a device of the character described comprising a combined form and protection means for an island, said device comprising a casing having upright side and end walls, said Walls terminating in an inturned flange at the lower edges thereof, a structural bracing unit comprising a strut arranged transversely in said casing and having each of its ends respectively secure to said side walls, a pair of bars having one of their respective ends secured to said strut and the other of their ends secured to each side wall at the lower edge thereof and against said flange, a rod having each of its ends respectively secured to said bars intermediate their ends, a pair of braces each having one end secured to said strut and its opposite end secured to one side wall substantially on a level with said strut, said strut, bars, and rod being disposed in a substantially upright plane to maintain said side walls against lateral distortion while said braces prevent arcuate displacement of the whole form.

3. In a device of the character-described, comprising a combined form and protection means for an island, said device further comprising a casing having substantially vertical upright side and end walls of a single piece of sheet material, said walls terminating in an inturned flange at the lower edges thereof, in combination with a plurality of structural bracing units securedly fixed and disposed in spaced relation inside of and transversely of said casing, each of said bracing units comprising a strut having each of its ends secured respectively to said side walls intermediate the upper and lower edges of said side walls, bracing means on a level with said strut, said bracing means projecting from said strut and fixedly secured thereto and to said side walls, a pair of bars secured to said strut intermediate the ends of said strut and having their other ends secured to the lower edge portions of said side walls, whereby said strut, braces and bars prevent undue distortion when said casing is being filled.

4. In an island construction comprising a one piece sheet metal casing having suitably spaced side and end walls all of said walls being substantially vertical and said side walls being substantially parallel, transversely arranged structural bracing units in said casing and secured thereto, each bracing unit comprising a strut, a pair of bars having one of their respective ends secured to said strut intermediate the ends of said strut and the,

other of their ends secured respectively to each side Wall at the lower edge thereof, a pair of braces each having one end secured to said strut intermediate the ends of said strut and having its opposite ends respectively secured to the side Walls adjacent to but below the upper edges of said side walls on a level with said strut, whereby undue flexing of the whole casing is prevented during handling and transportation of the casing.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,505,411 Newell Aug. 19, 1924 1,637,215 Coppock July 26, 1927 1,725,244 Bareham Aug. 20, 1929 1,756,187 Ferris Apr. 29, 1930 2,152,751 Schulz Apr. 4, 1939 2,294,855 Thomason Sept. 1, 1942 2,678,592 Wiedman May 18, 1954 FOREIGN PATENTS 361,108 Great Britain Nov. 19, 1931 

